By Jeff Borzello

It looks like Scott Drew has locked up yet another top-10 recruiting class. He was on the verge of breaking into that vaunted group, but Monday cemented Baylor’s position.

Ricardo Gathers, a former St. John’s commit, made his pledge to the Bears.

The news was first reported by Dave Telep of ESPN.com, and confirmed to CBSSports.com by Greg Gathers, Ricardo’s brother.

Gathers is a 6-foot-7 forward from Riverside Academy (La.) and one of the best rebounders in the entire class. He’s a physical specimen who gets up and down the floor very quickly with his short strides and quick burst of speed. Gathers is extremely strong and powerful, and his NFL body enables him to dominate the glass at both ends of the floor. His speed also makes him a menace in transition, while his relentlessness at both ends earns him plenty of trips to the foul line.

Gathers averaged 20.2 points and 12.0 rebounds during Nike’s EYBL competition last summer, culminating with a 29-point, 20-rebound performance against Boo Williams at the Peach Jam.

He said last month that Florida and North Carolina State were among his favorites, along with Baylor and St. John’s. Gathers joins Isaiah Austin, L.J. Rose and Chad Rykhoek in Baylor’s 2012 recruiting class.

By Jeff Borzello

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Since Ricardo Gathers decommitted from St. John’s in early November, several new schools have tried to get involved in his recruitment.

While he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to finish the process, Gathers has shed some light on his suitors.

After his Riverside (La.) team lost to Gonzaga (D.C.) on Saturday at the Hoophall Classic, the No. 52-ranked player in the class of 2012 said he had been hearing from Baylor, LSU, St. John’s, California, North Carolina State and Florida.

His four favorites are: Baylor, St. John’s, Florida and North Carolina State.

The Red Storm remain in the mix despite parting ways two months ago.

“I like their style of play,” the 6-foot-8 power forward said. “How they go so hard.”

Two schools mentioned recently with Gathers are Kentucky and Duke, but he said neither is showing consistent interest.

Duke contacted him once. “Not frequently,” he said.

As for Kentucky, head coach John Calipari came to one game, but the Wildcats have yet to contact him directly or offer him a scholarship.

Gathers plans to make a decision after the season, but he wants to take trips to North Carolina State, Duke, Florida and Baylor before announcing his final commitment.

Photo: New Orleans Times-Picayune

By Jeff Borzello

After adding nine recruits to the program in 2010-11, St. John’s knew it would have a more relaxed recruiting period this summer.

On Saturday, Steve Lavin picked up his first recruit for 2012, as Louisiana forward Ricardo Gathers popped for the Red Storm.

The news was first reported by Paul Biancardi of ESPN.com, and later confirmed by multiple sources to CBSSports.com

Gathers, a 6-foot-7 forward from Riverside Academy (La.), also had Texas, LSU and Arizona heavily involved down the stretch. He is a powerful player who has an NFL body and dominates the glass at both ends of the floor. Gathers might be faster end-to-end than anyone in the country, enabling him to be a menace in transition.

With all the wings St. John’s added in 2011, Gathers will be a nice addition up front for the Red Storm in two years.

By Jeff Borzello

INDIANAPOLIS -- It’s not often a five-star recruit is scared of going against someone -- and then admits it.

In Chris Thomas’ case, though, the big-time scorer from Colorado wanted no part of Kaleb Tarczewski and the rest of the New England Playaz big men.

“They were too big,” Thomas said. “I played against the big guy (Tarczewski) in Adidas Nations, and he had some mean blocks. Every time I went up, I thought I was going to get blocked or get hurt.”

Thomas, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who will attend La Jolla Prep (Calif.) next year, is still one of the most unstoppable scorers in the country. He is long and athletic, and his first step and explosiveness are on another level. Thomas has deep range on his jumper and is a very good passer when he gets others involved.

At the Adidas Invitational, Thomas was fairly inconsistent, scoring 35 in one game and then disappearing for stretches.

“I’ve been off and on,” he said. “One game I play good, next one is bad.”

Thomas is not far along in the recruiting process, but he listed Kentucky, Memphis, Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Xavier and Texas.

Three schools are standing out for the No. 7 prospect in 2013: Kentucky, Arizona and Xavier.

“For Arizona, they have good people there, good coaches,” Thomas said. “Xavier, I like the talent they have. And Kentucky, I like [John] Calipari and their style of play.”

Thomas said he plans on making a decision at the end of his junior year in high school.

“I want to go to a place where I can have fun,” he said. “I want to get my degree and go to the NBA.”

Top Performers

Shabazz Muhammad, 2012, Dream Vision: Hate to keep bringing him up, but Muhammad lit up for the second day in a row. Going head-to-head against Andre Drummond, Muhammad easily won the battle, scoring 29 and getting the win.

Kaleb Tarczewski, 2012, New England Playaz: Tarczewski is a man among boys at times down low. He runs the floor well and catches everything thrown to him in transition. He finishes well around the basket.

Bronson Koenig, 2013, Wisconsin Playground Warriors: It didn’t take long for Koenig to make his presence known against the Las Vegas Prospects. He knocked down two long 3-pointers off the dribble and also found teammates for points. 

Kasey Hill, 2013, Florida Rams Black: Hill is a big-time scoring point guard at this stage. He changes directions well and is very shifty with the ball. His crossover and ball-handling create separation and make his shots tough to guard.

Jarrell Martin, 2013, Brandon Bass Elite: Martin is well on his way to being a big-time forward in his class. He is very long and runs the floor well. He can score from the perimeter and attacks the offensive glass with aggressiveness.

Phil Nolan, 2012, Devin Harris Super Stars: Although he struggled during certain stretches, Nolan is a tough matchup. He can shoot consistently from the perimeter and runs the floor like a gazelle. He’s 6-foot-9, and his length makes him a solid defender and rebounder.

Other Notables: Even though Tarczewski got most of the pub, John Papale was outstanding for the New England Playaz. He is a knockdown outside shooter . . . Double Pump Elite has two tall point guards in Nigel Williams-Goss and Tyrone Wallace that can see over the defense and make plays . . . Ricardo Gathers was quiet at times, but when he decided to go down low and dominate, he was difficult to stop . . . A name to remember could be Landry Nnoko. He is long, strong and athletic, and is still getting accustomed to playing the game . . . Standing next to Andre Drummond might make it difficult to get noticed, but Sean Obi knows how to carve out space and make plays at the rim . . . Wannah Bail has great physical attributes; he just needs to refine his offensive game and he could be dominant . . . Team D-Rose could have a sleeper in Trevor Thompson, a 6-foot-10 big man who can score with his back to the basket.